Gas hits fresh record ahead of July 4
National average gas price climbs to $4.098 a gallon as drivers gear up for one of the biggest driving days of the year.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Retail gas prices rose overnight to a record high for the fourth day in a row, ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend - one of the nation's busiest weekends for travel.
The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to an all-time high of $4.098 from $4.092 the day before, a daily survey by motorist group AAA showed Thursday.
Gas prices are now 3% higher than they were last month and nearly 39% higher, or almost $1.15 more, than year-ago levels.
Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation. Drivers in the state pay an average of $4.689 a gallon for regular gas. California and Hawaii have the second and third-highest average gas prices, at $4.574 and $4.441, respectively.
The state with the lowest gas prices is Oklahoma, where a gallon of gas averages $3.885.
The survey also showed that the national average price for diesel fuel held steady at $4.767 a gallon.
Record high gas prices have pinched consumers and forced many Americans to cut back on the amount of driving they do.
Thirty-one percent of Americans have canceled or shortened their planned holiday weekend vacation because of rising gas prices, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll released Wednesday.
And last week, AAA said it expects the number of Americans traveling during the July 4 holiday weekend will fall 1.3% to 40.45 million from the 41 million who traveled last year.
Meanwhile, the price for a barrel of oil also rose to a new high, crossing $145 a barrel in electronic trading Thursday. 
-
This 35-mph vehicle got lots of attention for GM - just not the right kind. More -
Not surprisingly, there weren't many takers for these pricey tickets. More -
British Airways asks 40,000 employees to work for free. Few take the company up on the offer. More -
Tropicana drinkers rebelled against the juice maker's $35-million 'generic' branding. More -
A credit card reform bill comes with a bonus -- guns in national parks. More -
KFC offers coupons for free chicken, only to rescind the offer when demand is too high. Outrage ensues. More
